By Mary Mostert, Analyst

© Original Sources (www.originalsources.com), September 21, 1999

On July 16th I analyzed S1234, which passed 97-2 in the U.S. Senate and urged readers to write to their members of Congress about a provision included in the bill, which was an appropriations bill for Foreign Operations. In the bill Section 525 designated Yugoslavia a Terrorist State. The designation as a "Terrorist State," the bill states, is based on "Congressional Determination" that "the Republic of Yugoslavia is engaged in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights" and "is a country which has repeatedly engaged in acts of terrorism, a country which grants sanctuary from prosecution to individuals or groups which have committed an act of terrorism, and a country which otherwise supports terrorism."

Section 578 of S 1234 (which is now engrossed in the Senate as HR 2606), requires the Secretary of the Treasure "to work in opposition to, and vote against, any extension by international institutions of any financial or technical assistance or grants of any kind to the government of Serbia-Montenego." It requires the Secretary of State to "block any consensus to allow the participation of Serbia Montenegro" that would allow international assistance in the reconstruction of power plants, heating plants, water plants, schools, hospitals, bridges, homes, etc. which were destroyed by American bombs. However, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, on which this bill bases these actions very clearly shows the Senate's actions to be violations of the Human Rights of the civilian population of Serbia, which consists of 26 different ethnic groups, less than two-thirds of whom are Serb. What, exactly, are the Human Rights violations, the civilian population of Serbia have committed that merit (1) the destruction of their power plants, heating plants, waterplants, schools, hospitals, etc? and (2) in what court of law were the civilians of Serbia convicted? Like the US Constitution, the Declaration of Human Rights states accused are innocent until proved guilty in a court of law, not in the media or in a piece of legislation. The Human Rights listed in the Universal Declaration include: Article I -All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. Article 2 -Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty. Article 3 -Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. Article 11 -Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence. Article 25 -Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection. The US Congress has concluded that entire population of Yugoslavia, more than 10% of whom are refugees from Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo, no longer has the right to a standard of living adequate for "health and well-being" of their families, no right to security in the event of sickness or old age and no ordinary care, much less "special care, and assistance" children in Yugoslavia. In fact, both the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Treasury, under the Senate bill, are ordered to make SURE that the children, the elderly and the sick have no heat this winter.

I received an urgent e-mail yesterday which tersely announced: "On explicit US demand, oil and gas pipelines connecting Caspian Sea and Europe will bypass Yugoslavia as long as president Slobodan Milosevic is in power, Romanian radio cited the statement of American ambassador in Bucharest James Rosapep. Oil and gas pipeline systems should connect Romania and Trieste (Italian port) via Hungary and Slovenia, which would enable provision of Caspian oil and gas for Slovakia, Austria and Germany, said Rosapep. Rolf, who sent me that message, noted: "I heard that if Russia cannot supply gas and oil and everybody uses electricity for winter heating the system will collapse." The provision designed to deprive the hospitals, schools and old folks homes in Yugoslavia of heat this winter was introduced by Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, a Republican and Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, a Democrat. Mitch McConnell is the chairman of the Appropriations committee and Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, is Ranking Member. I talked to aides of Sen. McConnell, Sen. Leahy and Sen. Hatch of Utah personally about my concern that this provision would kill thousands this winter in Yugoslavia - especially children, the ill and the elderly -if they are deprived of heat and electricity. Sen. McConnell's aide seemed genuinely concerned about that possibility. Sen. Leahy's aide also seemed concerned, noting that the bills was the work of the Republicans (although it wasn't – Sen. Lautenberg was co-sponsor of the provision on terrorism) and Sen. Hatch's aide spoke strongly in favor of the provision saying "That's what they deserve for choosing a man like Milosevic." At the present time the bill has been through the Senate Conference committee and a conference report written. That committee is headed by Sen. McConnell. (To read the Senate The Conference report go to:http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/z?cp106:sr081:) As it stands coming from the Senate, the Bill is now named HR 2606 and it contains the provision designating Yugoslavia a "terrorist state" while pouring millions into KLA-NATO controlled Kosovo, where about 300,000 non-Albanians and Albanians who oppose the KLA terrorism have been driven out or killed. The bill could be used, for example, to halt IMF loans to Russia if Russia sells oil or steel for rebuilding its bridges to Yugoslavia. The senate version of HR 2606 now goes to a House-Senate Conference. On September 14th the House selected its Conference Committee. The House version of HR 2606 does not have the provision designating Serbia a terrorist state. Now is the time to call, e-mail or fax your members of Congress and urge them to eliminate the provision from the Senate bill. The KLA has driven out most of the Serb, Gypsy, Goran, Jewish, Turkish and Egyptian citizens of Kosovo out of the province, plus about 150,000 ethnic Albanians who oppose the KLA, and both bills provide assistance to for the KLA. Indonesia, a friend of bill Clinton's, has killed or driven out hundreds of thousands of East Timorese. That is certainly a violation of the UN Human Rights Declaration. Serbia has the most ethnically diverse population in the Balkans, whereas Albania is 96% ethnically pure, since it drove out it's 8% Greek population a couple of years ago, and it's Serbia, not Albania or Indonesia that we are "punishing" for Human Rights' violations? This is sheer craziness. To e-mail, phone or fax House members of the Conference Committee and your own members of Congress go to:

http://originalsources.com/PLobby/ContactCongress.shtml

House Conference members are: Sonny Callahan, (R-AL) John Porter (R-IL), Frank Wolf (R-VA), Ron Packard(R-CZ) , Joseph Knollenberg (R-MI), Jack Kingston (R-GA) , Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Roy Blunt (R-MO), C.W. BillYoung (R-FL), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Nita Lowey (D-NY) Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI) Martin Sabo (D-MN)and David Obey (D-WI) Senate Conference members are: Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Arlan Specter (R-PA) Judd Gregg (R-NH), RichardShelby (R-AL), Robert Bennett (R-UT), Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO), Christopher Bond (R-MO), TedStevens (R-AK), Patrick Leahy(D-VT) , Daniel Inouye (R-HI), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Tom Harkin D-IA),Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Robert Byrd (D-VA) conferees on the part of the Senate.

To comment: mmostert@originalsources.com